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Former Al Thomas manager, Paul Degnan, longtime pitcher, Mike Feehily, and retired catcher, Mike Toland were inducted into the team’s prestigious Hall of Fame. Each inductee spoke of the kindness of Al Thomas, the quality of his teammates, the many friendships forged over the years, and the unabashed pride with which he wore the Al Thomas uniform.

 

Paul Degnan managed the A’s from 1990 through 1996, guiding the team to four straight championship appearances, including the thrilling 1993 come-back title against Savin Hill after being down 3 games to none. Not afraid to sacrifice himself for the good of the team, Paul developed a healthy relationship with the umpires around the league, defending his team in the face of judgmental injustices. Paul also served as Yawkey League Treasurer for 5 years, and attended league meetings at ungodly hours and inconvenient locations.
Paul guided the A’s to 121 wins in his managerial career, 3^rd on the all-time list. With his fierce decision making and his familiar jog down to coach 3^rd base, Paul kept the team afloat for many years. Another one of those little things that often go unnoticed, Paul brought the Gatorade Jug, filled with ice and water to every game for about 5 or 6 years. On behalf of the organization, it is an honor to induct Paul Degnan into the Al Thomas Club Hall of Fame.

Mike Feehily, aka “Touchy” joined the A’s right out of B.C. High and instantly made an impact, working himself into the starting rotation, where he remained for 13 years. Sporting a sneaky fastball, a nasty deuce, and occasionally sharp penny loafers, Mike amassed 68 career regular season wins, and an additional 11 playoff wins. One of his most memorable starts was Opening Day 1997 when no pitchers had thrown much in preseason, and Mike was asked to start the game and maybe go a couple of innings against the McKay Club. He responded with a complete game, 3 hit shutout with 11 k’s and a 12-0 victory on route to a 10-0 season. Always willing to do whatever was needed for the team, start, long relief, short relief, sometimes no relief, Mike was a consummate teammate and a fierce competitor. On behalf of the organization, it is an honor to induct Mike Feehily into the Al Thomas Club Hall of Fame.

In the history of Al Thomas baseball, Mike “Slows” Toland was the fastest running catcher….who hit lefty…He was a quiet, respected leader on and off the field for 10 years.  A disciplined hitter with a keen eye for the strike zone, he boasted a career average of .335, and a .385 average in clutch situations. Behind the plate, he was one of the best signal-callers the YBL has seen, with a strong accurate throwing arm that resulted in many pickoffs at all three bases. It is safe to say that Mike picked off more than 20 runners at first base throughout his career.  With a high on base percentage and superior baserunning skills, he was always among the team leaders in runs scored, despite wearing a knee brace the last five years of his career.
Mike also helped mold the younger pitchers on the staff and once stole a base. With his patience and eye at the plate, Mike developed a strong reputation and earned the respect and admiration of umpires throughout the league. When he was upset at a pitcher for not hitting his spot or throwing a poor pitch, he would fire the ball back to the pitcher harder than it was pitched, often resulting in the pitcher having to walk around the mound until the throbbing stopped in his hand. His career on base percentage ranks among the leaders in team history, and his ability to turn it up a notch in the playoffs was uncanny. He was a 3-time all star and 2-time gold glove winner.  On behalf of the organization, it is an honor to induct Mike Toland into the Al Thomas Club Hall of Fame. 

 

The Yawkey League awards were announced recently, and several Al Thomas players received accolades. Andy Doyle (catcher), Greg Lovely (shortstop) and Chris Bucci (centerfield) won Gold Glove Awards; Chris Malloy won a Silver Slugger Award; Scott Jamieson cleaned up with the Cy Young Award and the Rookie of the Year Award; and Joe O’Hara was voted as Manager of the Year.  

Honors given at the Banquet included Mark Daly with The Tenth Player Award; Paul Bonner as The Comeback Player of the Year; Tri-Rookies-of-the-Year Chris Burke, Andy Doyle and Matt Hallisey. Paul Bonner with the Riley Rocket Award (for the longest bomb allowed by a pitcher during the season); Matt Thayer and Chris Bucci winning team Gold Glove Awards; Jim Flavin collecting The Unsunk Hero Award; and Scott Jamieson capturing the team MVP with an 8-1 mark and a sizzling 0.23 earned run average. Longtime friend and Yawkey League Commissioner Dan Tarpey was ceremoniously presented a team jacket to fittingly close out the awards program.

 

AUGUST 19, 2005

Al Thomas Club Sweeps into the Yawkey League Finals!

The Al Thomas A's have swept their first two series of the 2005 playoffs to reach the Yawkey Baseball League Championship series for the first time since 1996.

After dispatching of West Roxbury three games to none, the A's defeated a tough, young Medford team in three straight by the scores of 1-0, 4-3 (8 innings) and 10-0. In the opening game, rookie sensation Scott Jamieson outdueled Medford's McDonough with a 4-hit shutout. Brian Powers drove in Chris Bucci with the only run of the game in the 6th inning.

In game 2, the A's were held hitless until the 6th inning and overcame late deficits of 1-0 and 3-2 to win in extra innings, 4-3 on a base hit by Matt Thayer. Andy Doyle led off the 8th with a triple, and after two intential walks and two outs, Thayer ended the game with a single to left. Aidan Powers allowed 1 earned run in 7 innings and John Kostas earned the win with a scoreless 8th inning, his second victory of the playoffs.

Game 3 featured the third lefty starter in a row for the A's, Leo Corcoran, who dominated Medford hitters with a biting fastball and a nasty curve. Corcoran retired the first 12 batters and carried a no hitter into the 6th inning before yielding a one-out base hit. John Kostas pitched a scoreless 7th inning to preserve the shutout.

Chris Bucci, Chris Malloy, Peter Moores, Aidan Powers and Jim Schindler each banged out 2 hits to lead the A's balanced offense.

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AUGUST 9, 2005

A's Finish with Best Record in YBL in 2005!

The Al Thomas A's built on the success of 2004 to boast the best record in the Yawkey League in 2005. At 25-6, the Club also broke its single-season record for most victories in a season, eclipsing the previous high of 24 wins, accomplished several times.

The team had to win its last 6 games, including a doubleheader sweep on Saturday, August 6 to win the Tarpey Conference and finish with the top seed heading into the playoffs.

Rookie southpaw Scott Jamieson led the league with an 8-1 record and an astonishing 0.23 earned run average. Chris Malloy led the league in doubles (11) and on base percentage, while hitting .398, while Greg Lovely finished in the top 5 in doubles, triples, runs and slugging percentage. Matt Thayer was a perfect 20-20 in stolen bases.

The Al Thomas Club led the league in pitching E.R.A. with a stingy 1.43, and finished the season 3rd in the league with a .301 team batting average.

Congratulations to franchise holder Al Thomas of the Alfred D. Thomas Funeral Home in Milton, and the 2005 A's for a first-place finish. The team hopes to carry that success into the playoffs and capture its first league title since 1993.

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SPRING 2005
Welcome to the website of the Al Thomas Club of Boston's Yawkey Baseball League. The A's enjoyed a successful 2003 campaign, which included a nine-game winning streak and a late-season drive for first place in the Tarpey Conference. Injuries once again proved to be the kiss of death for this team, as many key players were lost throughout the season and especially down the stretch. In the 2004 season, the A's captured the 5th seed, making the playoffs for the 14th time in 15 years. Aidan Powers led the Yawkey League with a sizzling 0.68 ERA, while Chris Malloy led the league in homeruns (7) and rbi (37). Leo Corcoran was among league leaders for rookies with a 6-1 record and 1.74 ERA.  There is an air of excitement growing about this team, and we look for bigger and better things as the summer moves along.

Anyone interested in helping coach the team should contact Manager Joe O'Hara at joeohara64@hotmail.com or 617-376-7191.

Continuing a 20-year-old tradition, the Al Thomas A's held their annual Rookie Moy Night on July 22, 2005. Twenty-three members of the team boarded a lavish Limousine Bus to discuss baseball strategies and theorems throughout the evening. As the team visited several sports establishments across the city of Boston, some of the more heated debates included 'bringing the infield in', 'bunting with 2 strikes', and of course, the old baseball gem, 'tequila vs. grape crush', which required many rounds of research and exploration. Displaying proudly their "Rookie Moy Night" tee shirts, the A's left no stone unturned in their scrutinization of the various sports and recreation edifices in Boston. The evening culminated in a visit to the Golden Gate Restaurant, during which time no rookie was allowed to use silverware or utensils of any kind. Retired for several years now, former waiter Moy was rumored to have said, "I looked forward all summer to those guys coming in to eat with their hands. They were funny, and sometimes they sang songs. What a great bunch of guys!"

The A's roared back from a 2 games-to-none deficit against a strong McKay Club to take the quarterfinal round of the 2004 YBL playoffs. Rob Celata shut down the Bulldogs on 4 hits in Game 3 as Greg Lovely's double scored Peter Moores with the winning run in the bottom of the 8th inning for a 3-2 win. Chris Malloy gunned down the potential tying run in the top of the 8th on a base hit to right, as Sean Wilshere withstood the collision and held on to the ball. Leo Corcoran handcuffed McKay on 5 hits in Game 4 to even the series with a 6-2 victory, walking 1 and whiffing 7. Sean Wilshere, Steve Sherman and Aidan Powers banged out 2 hits apiece to lead the offense. Mike Niland's single in the 1st plated 2 runs to set the tone of the game. In the rubber game, Aidan Powers fired a 5-hitter with 7 k's to earn the vicory 3-2. Run-scoring singles by Wilshere, Jimmy Schindler and Brian Powers in the 2nd inning provided the only runs needed. Chris Malloy again threw out the potential tying run in the bottom of the 6th inning on a fly to right.